Ray Allen finally retired for real with a letter to his 13-year-old self

Even though Ray Allen hasn't played since the Miami Heat's 2013-14 season, for the last couple of years NBA teams have held out hope that the venerable sharpshooter might get back in the saddle one last time for a partial-season stretch run with a contender. As time passed, that possibility diminished further and further, and now Allen has finally put his NBA career to bed.

Allen penned a piece in the Player's Tribune's "Letter to My Younger Self" series, wherein he checks in on himself as a 13-year-old kid about to start at a new school. He tells himself the story of his entire basketball career, from high school to UConn to his title-winning teams in the NBA, before arriving at the announcement:

Tomorrow when you get off that school bus in South Carolina, you'll have to choose.

Every day for the rest of your life, you'll have to choose.

Do you want to fit in, or do you want to embark on the lonely pursuit of greatness?

I write this to you today as a 41-year-old man who is retiring from the game. I write to you as a man who is completely at peace with himself.

Peace of mind is a hard thing for many athletes to gain in retirement, and if Ray has truly found it, our hats are off to him.

Jeremy Lin will put up numbers on this roster, and Brook Lopez may play his way onto another team's. But there isn't much to see in Brooklyn this year.

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29. 76ers (0-0)

No Ben Simmons, no Nerlens Noel, no Jerryd Bayless -- only a limited dose of Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor to open the year. Keep an eye on Embiid and Dario Saric to impress early, but it'll be hard for the 76ers to compete.

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28. Lakers (0-0)

Brandon Ingram has the makeup of a legit threat -- but in the short-term, he's unlikely to dominate. The Lakers are getting younger and collecting assets, but it won't bear any fruits this season.

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27. Suns (0-0)

The young pieces in Phoenix will have their moments of Vine-worthy awesomeness, but in the West, it'll be hard for this raw bunch to string together much success.

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26. Heat (0-0)

It's a new era in Miami -- and one that will be painful for fans in the early going. With no Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh, the Heat are banking on Hassan Whiteside to carry the full load, along with a few intriguing young pieces. It'll be jarring seeing Miami buried in the Eastern Conference standings, but that's looking like the likely scenario.

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25. Nuggets (0-0)

Denver has established a core of promising youth, with a mix of young-ish veterans sprinkled in. If everything breaks right, they could make a push toward a .500 record, but there's still a lot of inexperience leading the way.

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24. Magic (0-0)

With Frank Vogel in charge, the Magic finally seem to be in good hands. The team swapped out Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka -- who makes a great fit at power forward with Nic Vucevic at the 5 -- but also brought on Bismack Biyombo. Aaron Gordon is currently slated to play at the small forward, with Jeff Green also factoring in somewhere. There's talent and youth, but all sorts of mismatched pieces.

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23. Kings (0-0)

The Kings are hoping contract-year Rudy Gay will be able to step up, and also that an experience under Coach K with the national team has helped DeMarcus Cousins' ever-evolving maturation process. Again, there's talent in Sacramento. In Dave Joerger, a coach that players generally have liked, there may be a fit. But, with the Kings, we'll just have to wait and see.

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22. Grizzlies (0-0)

Health will be what ultimately dooms the Grizzlies this season. Chandler Parsons still isn't fully recovered, Marc Gasol is coming off surgery and point guard depth behind Mike Conley is a pair of rookies. If they can maintain a healthy roster all year, they'll likely make the playoffs. But we're not ready to make that assumption.

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21. Pelicans (0-0)

As Jrue Holiday rightfully remains with his family, Tim Frazier and Langston Galloway will handle the point duties for New Orleans. Buddy Hield will likely see a good amount of burn, while Tyreke Evans and Solomon Hill are the other top wing options. In other words: There really isn't much help around Anthony Davis in NOLA.

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20. Timberwolves (0-0)

Minnesota has a combination of elite young talent and one of the best head coaches in the league, which should have its fanbase's collective mouth watering. It'll be important to remember this is still Year 1 of a new regime, and while the team will grow, it won't be without hiccups.

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19. Bulls (0-0)

The Bulls added some glitz to their roster in Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, and to a lesser extent Michael Carter-Williams. But investing in a roster on which Jimmy Butler is the best three-point shooter isn't exactly wise in 2016-17. They'll win some games strictly on talent, but their roster makeup completely contradicts winning NBA strategy today.

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18. Knicks (0-0)

New York underwent yet another roster overhaul, adding Derrick Rose, Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah to its star duo of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. Banking on Rose and Noah to stay healthy, though, will likely prove disappointing. Adding Noah, specifically, when Porzingis should be transitioning to the center position, is also a peculiar fit. There's talent and big names in New York, but it will still be a challenge to crack the East's top eight.

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17. Mavericks (0-0)

Dallas added two pieces from Golden State's nucleus over recent years -- but the pieces not named Curry, Thompson or Green. Dirk Nowitzki, in the twilight of his career, remains productive, but there's still not enough talent to guarantee Dallas a playoff spot. Rick Carlisle's presence alone gives them a shot, but this roster doesn't look overly promising.

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16. Bucks (0-0)

2017 will be the year Giannis Antetokounmpo rises to the ranks of the elite -- there's little in the way of it. The Greek Freak will get a chance to dominate this season, and his size, versatility and growing experience makes it a near certainty. If Jason Kidd figures out the optimal lineup for this team, which may include limiting Greg Monroe's minutes more than ever before, the Bucks could make a run toward the postseason.

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15. Wizards (0-0)

While Scott Brooks isn't the most sophisticated x's-and-o's head coach, he brings an aura that Randy Wittman never could. Barring injury, the John Wall-Bradley Beal backcourt still has potential to be one of the best in the league. If any of Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre or Markieff Morris can step up and become a major contributor, the Wizards could be in business.

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14. Hornets (0-0)

After a playoff berth last season, the Hornets brought back most of their major pieces. The re-installment of Michael-Kidd Gilchrist into the starting lineup should be major dividends on both ends, too. Barring a letdown, Charlotte should be in store for another postseason run. Success would mean advancing past the first round -- something they fell one win short of a year ago.

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13. Jazz (0-0)

Utah is the trendy pick in the West to eclipse 50 wins this season, and perhaps more -- and for good reason. Gordon Hayward's injury stunts their growth a bit, but Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Joe Johnson in the frontcourt is more than passable. A combination of George Hill, Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, Shelvin Mack, Alec Burks and Joe Ingles at the guards gives them plenty of depth. If they can stay afloat in Hayward's absence, look out for them to make a serious run upon his return.

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12. Hawks (0-0)

With Jeff Teague out of the picture, the offense belongs to Dennis Schroder. Al Horford is out, and Dwight Howard is in. These are fairly major changes for a team whose nucleus has proven successful over recent years, but thanks to a strong infrastructure, they should be able to manage. Under Mike Budenholzer, it's hard to imagine Dwight Howard ruining Atlanta's culture -- especially if, at age 30, he acknowledges that this may be his last chance at success. The depth chart is still packed with shooting and above-average defenders, giving them a good shot every night.

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9. Trail Blazers (0-0)

The Blazers, after a shocking run to the second round of the postseason, have returned all major contributors from a year ago and are now equipped with crucial experience of postseason success. Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Allen Crabbe make up an incredibly versatile trio that could beat teams in a number of ways. There's still obvious reason for concern in the Western Conference, but all signs are pointing to Portland being very competitive once again.

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7. Rockets (0-0)

Call us crazy, but we like Mike D'Antoni's fit in Houston. A combination of shooters, wing defenders and a mobile big man in Clint Capela are a great combination for the veteran coach's gameplan, and James Harden will assuredly thrive offensively.

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6. Raptors (0-0)

Kyle Lowry is suddenly in a contract year after Toronto came within two wins of an NBA Finals berth.Toronto returns most of its primary contributors from a year ago -- although the loss of Bismack Biyombo is significant. Still, The Raptors have the talent to come in well above the middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference teams if everything holds up.

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5. Celtics (0-0)

Of the non-Cleveland East contenders, Toronto has proven more. But Boston's ceiling is higher. Adding Al Horford to the nucleus that won 48 games last season should pay huge dividends -- he's about a good a fit as the Celtics could've welcomed in. Continuing last season's chemistry building and success, Boston is a near-lock to finish top-three in the East, perhaps resulting in a showdown with Cleveland for a trip to the Finals.

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4. Spurs (0-0)

Tim Duncan is out of the fold, but San Antonio is still almost a guarantee to finish top-three in the West. Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge still make up one of the better 4-5 duos in the league, while Kawhi Leonard will continue to be an MVP contender. It won't be natural to see a Spurs team without Duncan, but it'll be natural watching them play deep into the postseason.

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3. Clippers (0-0)

This has to be the last year of the Clippers core if things don't pan out, right? Entering Year 6 of the Chris Paul era, the Clippers have yet to play in a Conference Finals. The talent remains plentiful, as it has over the last half-decade. We're expecting this to finally be the year Los Angeles puts it all together from wire-to-wire -- because if it's not this season, the plug will likely be pulled.

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2. Cavaliers (0-0)

Cleveland enters as overwhelming Eastern Conference favorites, and for good reason: They have the best player the league has seen in decades, now finally free of the stress deriving from a career-long quest to deliver Cleveland a title. With that banner rising to the rafters Tuesday night, the Cavs will be expected to follow it up with another trip to the Finals -- James' would-be seventh straight appearance. J.R. Smith is finally back, and despite a few holes in the roster -- namely at the backup point guard slot -- Cleveland shouldn't have trouble punching a ticket to the championship matchup.

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1. Warriors (0-0)

Can they win 74? 75? 82? Frankly, that shouldn't be the goal for this team, as last year's Warriors found out exactly how grueling a quest for regular-season records may be. Golden State clearly boasts the best roster in the NBA, and the most star-studded lineup basketball has perhaps ever seen. 74 wins shouldn't define success -- a trip to the Finals and an eventual championship should. Anything short of that, though, means failure.